Telephones have been the cause of a lot of problems in our house. Well, as Ram would say, the problem isn't his, it is mine for wanting to use them!
He has always hated me being on the telephone from a very young age. He did once answer it for me, but only to pick it up and slam it down again!
After a scary incident where he tried to attack someone when I answered the telephone, (it would have been me if I was beside him, but I went into another room, so he tried to attack Debbie the Hoover with a Stanley knife) we made the agreement that I would no longer use the telephone except for very short and necessary business calls.
I have occasionally been able to have phone calls with friends, usually very early in the morning before he is awake, or when I have respite care. Even then, he will come and constantly interrupt me.
When stories of how very young children ring the emergency services and save the lives of parents, I always feel a little sad, as I have tried to show Ram how to use the phone, but he won't have any off it.
So imagine my huge surprise the other day when he came outside while I was picking vegetables for supper, and gave me a message!
I was stunned!
He told me that Ursula (the mother of his friend Banana) had rung from a charity shop to ask if I wanted some knitting needles and he had told her that I was outside and that she could call back in a few minutes, and then told me that she would call in about five minutes.
I couldn't quite believe that he had actually answered the phone, so I started to clarify it, but Ram immediately got upset. I so wanted to give him a big hug and say well done, but he was having nothing of that. He was nearly in tears!
Ursula did ring a few minutes later, and told me that she had started to leave a message on the answering phone, and that Ram had picked up the phone, and had a very good conversation with her. He was very clear, had a good telephone manner, and was able to tell her where I was and how long I was going to be!
It was so frustrating not to be able to praise Ram but every time I tried to mention it he got really upset.
Finally as we went to bed I was able to talk to him about it. Apparently he heard her mention knitting needles, and he was eager for me to get a replacement for the one he had lost, so he answered to help sort that out.
I was so amazed! I did share this with another friend who has a boy not only almost exactly the same age as Ram, but also the same characteristics, and she said that her son did the same last year. Out of the blue he answered the phone, and took a message and relayed it correctly!
I emailed this friend back saying that I hoped it wasn't a one off. She replied that she hadn't wanted to deflate my excitement by telling me that indeed it had been a one off with her son!
So I am under no illusions that this may be the one and only time he answers the phone, and that he only did it because he felt guilty about losing a knitting needle, but at least I know that he can do it, and that if I do ever collapse, hopefully he will be able to ring the emergency services for me.
PS. I think I should just add that Ram claims that he didn't lose the knitting needle. We just can't find it, and just because previously he has been taking my knitting needles to scratch his feet with, doesn't mean to say that this time it was his fault that it went missing. As a fair mother I am accepting his story, and therefore my entry above is slightly inaccurate: Ram didn't lose the knitting needle, but he was still rather eager to help me get the new one!
